Tim to the Rescue of DarthCarbon

Finally got DarthCarbon to a pro. Tim at Left Coast Cyclery was the man, rebuilding the troublesome shifters - apparently a big chunk was broken inside. He straightened the derailler hanger, tightened up the cassette and a myriad of other tweaks. I was able to take it for a quick ride on my birthday. Very nice, works great.

Funny when he called to say it was done, I was in the middle of a EBay bidding war for a new Giant frame. Turns out my current frame is fine, and after how well it rode, my itch for a new bike has subsided. I did notice after riding the big red steel and the commuter rig, hopping on the carbon felt like riding a piece of cardboard - just nothing to it, all air.

New Chainrings and Derailler Cable

New chainrings finally showed up.

When installing I got pricked by metal spikes coming from the brake/shifter hoods. Turned out the cable was frayed/breaking, I ordered some replacements and found some at a local shop to ride tomorrow.

"Darth Carbon" Rides Again

2 new Neuvations later, new 11-25 cassette, new chain and a thorough cleaning/inspection of the frame and crank, the Giant TCR is ready to ride again. I slipped a Mr. Tuffy back in the rear tire too figuring the tire is getting thinner back there, though this time I cut it to prevent any folding/fit weirdness.

I went official Campy Veloce 10 speed on the chain, but naturally I lack the proper punch tool - all my hand chain tools are breaking down/broken. After breaking the handle of the working one I had, I took a previously stripped one and devised a "leverage upgrade" using the bench vise. Safety glasses a must. I used a spare Wipperman manual link to hold the Campy chain together - when taking the old chain off, I couldn't find the other - maybe I punched it in old school when I installed.

The goal will be to maintain this chain, and catch any Neuvation cracks early. May this blog serve as the maintenance log!

Neuvation Wheelset Replacement

The cracks that started the blog have been more than addressed by Neuvation - we are at 2 new wheels, front and back.

On inspection after the rear failure documented below, the front also had some hairline cracks at the nipples. John Neugent(Neuvation) responded by calling it a warranty issue and shipped me a new wheel, which arrived less than 24 hours later. The customer service from the guy is amazing - I mean, I am a nearly 200lb rider running on 20 spokes rear, 16 spokes front on a less than $500 wheelset that weighs under 1600grams - unreal all-around. He's my Santa Man at the moment, sending me the slightly heavier and stronger rimmed wheel to see if that will hold me up.

I am going to just consider wheels an expendable, not unlike running shoes. They simply wear out. At Neuvation prices, these wheels are cheaper than running shoes and good for about 8-10K miles. I recommend these wheels despite the doubters ("do you really want to keep riding those wheels?"), just an awesome value, just prepare to cash in on the awesome service.

Mountain Bike Drivetrain Upgrade

I decided to fix up the MTB rather than try to buy another, since I'm getting less than a dozen serious rides a year. I have a cool Ti Frame to work around and the old wheels have been bulletproof. So no discs for me yet, I replaced the brake pads and upgraded the 10 year old drivetrain parts( splurged on XT crank/BB, cheap SRAM cassette & chain). Still 8 speed, its cool the stuff hasn't changed for 15+ years.

Yes, thats a 10 year old Michelin Silica Green Front tire. Given the durability of weird colored bike parts, I went with very red pads too.

Towing a Bike Behind the Xtracycle

A 5 minute solution to towing the kids bike to the park - we don't trust him in traffic.

I have a pile of ancient random car bike racks, and with the addition of a seat post shim, I was able to mount an old fork mount to the rear-cross piece of the Xtracycle.

I wonder what the tongue weight is - it says "no step" so I assume its not much. I also wrapped the quick release with a small bungie cord.

XtraCycle Peapod Seat Re-Mount

Kids legs getting too long, so I had to raise the Peapod and lean it back. Now my heels no longer hit the stirrups...

Neuvation R28 Aero4 Failure

18 month old Neuvation R28 Aero4, spoke pulling out.

I still recommend these wheels and the great service provided by the company, but inspect before it gets to this point please.